When I Stop Loving You
by aussiebabe290
Summary: AU. Oneshot. She didn't want to go to New York without saying goodbye. But she did.


**For the wonderful bubbles799, because I am me and I can. And I owe her a oneshot! Read and review, **

**Rhyleigh xoxox**

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><p>It had only taken Jake Barton moments to fall in love with Rachel Rafter. And it had taken moments for their relationship to end. The door had slammed and Rachel had left, leaving Jake standing in the middle of the room, bewildered. With the slam of the door, Rachel Rafter had left the house they shared.<p>

Crawling into the driver's seat of her little red Bug, Rachel put her head in her hands and let the tears run down her face. She was not going to give him the satisfaction of letting him see her cry- but she wasn't going to go anywhere until the tears stopped.

She could hardly believe they were over. She had honestly thought that they were going to go the distance. Ever since she was a little girl, she had been a dreamer. The eighteen year old that had left Carrs Park had worked her butt off through university, to achieve a job she loved. After one abusive relationship and several failed attempts, she had found Jake. At first sight, she had claimed he was a typical, football playing bogan, a tradie that she couldn't trust, but once she got to know him, she learned that he was a sweet, caring guy that would go to the moon and back for the girl he loved. Very family orientated, he was the man for her.

But it was over.

Jake sat down on the lounge, his head spinning. He hadn't had very many serious relationships in his life, but he knew when it was over. Rachel had slammed the door so hard it had almost fallen off, storming out the door before he could blink.

They were over.

She was perfect for him, and he was perfect for her. They had moved in together, they had discussed getting married (never more than discussed, Rachel panicked over the mention of weddings. One day, she had promised him, but that day was not in the near future). And yet, they were over.

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><p>New York was only days away, and her dreams of having someone to return to at Christmas time had been shattered. After crying in her mother's arms (Julie had rubbed her back soothingly, with eighteen month old Ruby looking on worriedly), Rachel retreated to her bedroom.<p>

Where her eyes caught the framed photo beside her bed.

It had been taken only weeks before, on their weekend escape to the beach. The whole Rafter family had come, and they had spent their time laughing on the soft sand, Ruby taking in the scenery in awe. Rachel was glancing into Jake's chocolate brown eyes, laughing and whatever he had said. She had loved the photo, at first sight.

Whiting Beach had been her childhood escape- they would go there for a week, every summer, and she would spend that weekend playing on the sand with her two brothers, their parents and their grandparents.

Her grandparents had been a match made in heaven. They were perfect for each other- together for forty five years, until Louise's death. Ted had been distraught, but it was the time capsule that made him positive that they would meet again.

Her granddad had asked her to read the letter that his wife had left him, buried in the time capsule they had made when Julie was only eight.

_My darling Teddy._

_So, it's the year 2000. Do we drive flying cars and eat our food in tablets?_

_My guess is it's all pretty much the same. The important things don't change._

_Know that whatever life brings, I will always love you. Life is a precious, __precious gift. Always live it, my love. Never forget me. But live it._

_Yours ever,_

_Louise._

She would never forget those words.

She had hoped that she would have a happy ending, like her grandparents had.

But her life had taken a turn for the worse.

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><p>"I can't believe Jake and Rachel broke up". Ben Rafter shook his head, glancing out the window at his childhood home.<p>

"I know", Carbo agreed with his mouth full of pizza.

"I thought they were going to get married", Retta spoke up, poking at her slice of pizza (she was even more wary of junk food after the great sugar high of Christmas 2010, as the incident had become known).

Nathan laughed. "Rachel? Marriage?" he giggled. "No, they weren't going to get married. But they were going to be together forever".

"I've got to talk to Jake", Ben decided, shoving his chair back and heading to the rack of keys to retrieve his own. Carbo glanced at the box of pizza and the slice on Ben's plate, with only one bite missing

But before he could touch it, Ben marched back over, snatching it up and sinking his teeth into the melted cheese.

"Don't you dare".

"Fine", Carbo grumbled.

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><p>"Jake!" Ben hammered on the front door. "Jake Jake Jake Jake Jake open the door!"<p>

"Hi mate", Jake said, swinging it open to have Ben fall to his feet.

"Jake, you can't let her go", he panted, lifting himself off the floor. "Don't let Rachel go to New York without talking to her, please!"

"I won't", Jake told him.

"We're going to the Shanghai Express the night after tomorrow, before she leaves", Ben said. "Come and see her, talk to her. I don't want her going to New York without sorting everything out".

"We'll sort it out", he promised him. "Sorry to cut this short, mate, but I've got to go".

Ben turned away, dejected.

He knew true love- it was rare. He had Mel had been a match made in heaven- and he knew his sister and Jake were.

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><p>"You know what, Ruby?" Rachel chatted, folding a pair of jeans and slipping them into her suitcase. Ruby looked over, her blue eyes wide, as she ran her fingers of the wheel of her cement mixer (which Rachel totally didn't understand- she dragged around a rag doll and a cement mixer, two polar opposites). "I thought Jake was going to be my prince charming. I've always wanted a prince charming…"<p>

"Ye". Ruby nodded, and Rachel knew that her little sister knew exactly what she was talking about.

"One day you're going to have a prince charming", she continued, "And we're going to have to meet him. I get to give him the big sister glares, and Ben and Nathan- and even Carbo- get to threaten to beat him up if he hurts you. Retta will just smile, but if he hurts you, she'll be the first one there. She'll be able to fix your broken heart". She sniffled.

Ruby patted her hand soothingly and Rachel smiled at the little girl- she might have only been a baby, but Ruby understood her better than anyone else.

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><p>"Aw, Henry!" Julie laughed, as the owner of the little restaurant came out to greet them. Henry Wong had known the Rafters' since the kids were little, watching them grow up- and he had the chance to do so all over again with little Ruby.<p>

"Hi Mr Wong", Rachel smiled.

The Shanghai Express was the Rafter family's favourite restaurant, and was the place they would march for every occasion- since Rachel got her braces off, a direct quote from Julie.

That night was bittersweet- Rachel was farewelling her family, her hometown, her life as she knew it. Saying goodbye to the quiet streets of Carrs Park for the hustle and bustle of the Big Apple- the city that never sleeps.

Everyone she loved was sitting around the round table with her. Her parents, younger brothers and baby sister, her granddad and grandma Chel… but no Jake.

It was stupid, she knew it, but she had wanted him to be there. Even if they weren't together, she still wanted to say goodbye.

So, excusing herself from the table, she went into the bathroom, dialing the number she knew by heart.

"Hi, it's Jake. Can't come to the phone right now, leave a message!"

She put her phone back into her bag, not understanding the tears stinging the back of her eyes.

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><p>Ben, still fuming at Jake's non-appearance, marched up to the front door of the house Jake and Rachel had shared.<p>

"Hello", Grace Barton smiled, opening the door.

"Hi Mrs Barton", he said, forcing a smile onto his face. "Is Jake around?"

"Jake's not home at the moment, Ben, sorry", she apologised. "I'll tell him you came around, though, alright?"

His shoulders slumped. "Alright. Thanks anyway, Mrs Barton".

Grace smiled to herself, as Ben trudged towards his little yellow car. She could almost see the steam coming out of the man's ears, as he mumbled to himself, but knew, that in the long run, where Jake was at that time was going to benefit his sister greatly.

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><p>It was the kind of scene airport scene that Rachel hated- the heartbreaking, gut wrenching goodbyes. And of course, her whole family had tagged along to witness it.<p>

"I love you", Rachel told them tearfully, hugging them all separately (crying even harder when Dave called her his 'princess'). It didn't matter how much family had come to say goodbye, there was one person she missed more than anyone.

"Call as soon as you get there", Julie warned, tears streaming down her face.

Rachel held Ruby to her hip, tears rolling down her own cheeks.

"I promise".

Ruby gently batted them away, smacking a sloppy, open mouthed kiss to her big sister's cheek. With a smile, Rachel kissed the tip of Ruby's nose- it was hard to believe that her baby sister would be two the next time she saw her, not even classed as a baby any more.

"Go back to Mummy now, Rubes, I've got to go", Rachel told her.

Julie held her arms out, and Ruby's own eyes filled with tears. "No!"

"I love you", Rachel whispered, sliding her bag over her shoulder and retreating towards the big doors.

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><p>Rachel stepped out of the security in New York Airport, scanning her eyes around the airport. It wasn't as if she expected someone to be waiting for her.<p>

Airport scenes in movies always made her cry. The girl would be chased by the love of her life, to be sung to on the same plane (_The Wedding Singer_). Or, the girl would board, leaving the boy shattered, only to surprise him by showing up at his apartment later that same night (the finale of _Friends_). Or having the boy run through and dodge security guards, to stop his love (_Love Actually_).

She had always secretly wanted an airport scene- although she knew her life was nothing like the movies. It couldn't be.

And yet it was, at the same time.

Because, right in front of her, was Jake Barton with a bunch of roses.

"What are you doing here?" Rachel said in a hoarse whisper.

Jake broke into a grin. "I know, I skipped out on dinner".

She dove into her arms, tears springing into her eyes. He held her tight, hearing her whisper.

"I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry".

"Hey, baby", he soothed. "It's okay. We're going to be okay".

"I love you".

He pressed a kiss to her lips. "I love you too".

It had been a crazy, rollercoaster ride, abandoning work for days and jumping on a plane halfway across the world. But it had been completely worth it, to see her beautiful face emerge from the big doors.

"I'll always love you, Rachel Rafter", he told her, holding her tight.

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><p><strong>When Rachel leaves on Tuesday night, I am going to bawl my eyes out. Long live Jake and Rachel!<strong>


End file.
